XOXO

As I sat in my hot tub last evening, a tremendous rainstorm spilled clouds into the valley.  The clouds, oddly enough, looked something like burlap sacks filled with writhing snakes.  Probably, these clouds were what you might term as “ominous.”  A smart guy would have climbed out of the tub, taken cover in the house and, as a final gesture once inside, developed a plan for world peace.  At the very least, I should have grabbed a cold beer.

But we are talking about me here.  I am, as my friend Rodney used to say, “ungood” at thinking stuff through.

So I sat in the water outside as the clouds rapidly converted to jade-colored sheets of rain, rolls of thunder, and lightning strikes that momentarily shattered the sky to bits as they flashed all around me.  Geez, I thought to myself, this might be a little dangerous out here.

I don’t know if I mentioned this--but I had already downed a glass of Scotch. 

Anyhow, rain hit my face.  The wind blew.  And my mind (having a mind of its own) rather wandered off to play with Tinker Toys, as usual.

I began to think about XOXO.

You know, when you write that at the end of a letter.  XOXO.  Hugs and kisses.  You need to employ your imagination, but if you do, the X might look like four lips at the point of kissing.  The O, if you stretch thought a bit, represents four arms in a hug.

Sure.  XOXO.

Flash…Boom!

I love lightning.

Hey!  Boom!  An Idea!

Maybe I will start a new craze: XOXO-XYZ

Hugs and kisses and a bit of a feel.

First step in developing world peace.

Storms are so cool!

--Mitchell Hegman